Vehicle unloading closure and mounting



J 1933. E. HERBE-RT 1,895,325

' VEHICLE UNLOADING CLQSUREAND MOUNTING Filed April "12. 1930 gwumtoz Edwa rd 1'': Herbert Patented Jan. 24, 1933 f UNITED STATES EDWARD ninnnnnitr, on omcrnnn'rr; OHIO VEHICLE unLoAnmG oLosunn Ann MO NTING Application filed April 12,

This invention relates to a movable closure and unloading gate for vehicles such as trucks, furniture vans and the like and has for an object the provision of agate mounting which permits of a substantially uninterrupted surface connection between the gate and the vehicle bed when the gate is lowered to the plane of the bed.

Another object is to providea gate mounting of this character which is simple and inexpensive and which requires a minimum of cutting of the bed and gate members.

Another object is'to provide a mounting which is of great strength and whichpro vides a sturdy and enduring structure which the top of the bed in the ordinary wooden amply protects the members against wear.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the acompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmental perspective view showing an end portion of a vehicle body and aclosure gate connected by means of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line i of Fig. 1 but showing the gate ina raised po- 7 sition. v

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 but showing the gate member in a depending position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The gate and mounting of the present invention would normally'be provided at the rear end of the vehicle bed and is so described herein. It is to be appreciated however, that the gate and mounting are equally applicable to the sides of the vehicles as well as the end, as is sometimes found desirable in moving vans. In the drawing vehicle bed 5 hasmounted upon its top face two or more ,hinge'members 6 each of which comprises a flat metal strap with an integral tubular eye 7 at. the end thereof. The vehicle bed 5 is cut away at an angle or chamfered, at 8 and its I edge is notched slightly as at 80 to accommodate a portion of theeye 7 and a similar eye on a "complementary hinge member. The closure gate 9 has its hinged end cut awayat an angle 7 or chamfered as at 10. A complementary hinge member 11 is formed of a heavy metal 1930. seria no. 443311).

strap having one portion 12 adjacent the eye extending over the angle face 10 of the gate and the'continuation 13 thereo'fturn'ed about the obtuse angle of the bottom of the gate onto the lowerface thereof. It is desirable only for thesake ofexterior finis'hof a'fancy vehicle'to countersink-the hinge member 11 either at 12 01"13 flush withthe gate body. At the end of the portion 1270f each hinge member 11 is an eye 14 which also projects beyond the edge 15 of the tail gate. 'A pin'16 extending through the adjacent pairsof eyes 7- and 14: completes the hinged mounting of the bed 5 and gate 9. It 'is necessary however to countersink the leaf or hinge member 6'in body construction of trucks. Both the leaf 6 and the leaf 11 are through-bolted by means of bolts 17 and 18 which are suitably countersunk at the top face of the body and gate.

The hingemounting thus far described is very sturdy and quite simple but, like most other heavy duty hinge mountings provides a gap betweenthe body and gate. Thecon struction of the hinge herein reduces this gap to considerably less than doesthe ordinary heavy duty hinge, but this space is not small enough, to'permit furniture ,tobe rolled from r a bed onto the-gate without danger of havin the legs of the furniture or the casters catc in the opening with a possible resultant damage to the legs of'the furniture or the casters thereof. To eliminate the gap between the gate and the body theusual metal wear plates at the adjacent ends of the body and gate are arranged as shown in Fig. 1 wherein the wear plate 19 on the body is secured over the hinge leaves. 6 and projects beyondthe edge offthe body for a distance substantially equalto the actual width of the gap between the body and gate. The eyes 7 andl i of the complementary hinge membershowever actually close. this gap at intervals so that the projecting edge of the plate is notched as at20 to receive both of these eyes so that the ed e 21 '9 of plate 19 and the eye portions 0 the hing-e members form practically a continuous straight edge. The gate 9 has a wear plate 22 having a straight edge 23 which rides over the edge 21 as the gate is lowered from the so I Vertical position shown in Fig. '2 to the horizontalposition shown in Figs'l and 4:, where the said edges of the plates contact one another in abutment. The eye portions of the hinge members being round are found to provide; negligibly small arcuateprojections which are ground away toprovide a continuous plane formed by the two plates; Screws I 24 retain the plates 19 and 22 upon the bed and gate 1'espectively., 'I hese plates are set flush with the top facesof the gate and bed as is customary in structures of this kind.

7 Any suitable mounting for the bed and 26on'the gate may hold the gate in a hori zontal unloading position, wherein various articles may be dragged or rolled from the I,

v bed onto thega-t'e without any difficulty whatsoever. I V

What isclaimed is: I q

1.1 In an unloading closure for vehicles the combination, with a vehicle bed and closure gate each chamfered at their adjacent ends, of hinge members secured to the top of the bed andhaving an eye portion projecting beyond the-edge of the bed, complementary hinge members extending over the chamfered edge and bottom of the gate and secured thereto, said hinge members having eyes cooperating with the'eyes on the bed hinge members, apin extending through the eyes and connectingthe hinge members, a wear plate covering thexbed-hinge members and projecting beyond the edge of the bed, the

projecting portion of said plate being notched to receive the eye portions of all of V the hinge members, and a straighted'ge wear plate on-the gate arranged to substantially 7 close the notches in the wear plate on the bed when the the bed. I I

2. In an unloading gate mounting for a vehicle the combination of-a vehicle bed and a gate angularly cut away along their adj acent outer edges, substantially fiat hinge members mounted on the top of the bed and gate is positioned in the plane of having eye portions projecting therebeyond,

complementary hinge members extending along the cut away edge and bottom of the gate and having eye portions projecting therefrom, a pintle extending through said eye portions andhingedly connecting the gate to the bed whereby said gate may be swung through anangle of 180 to the perpendicular, a wear. plate on theftop face of the vehicle bed and r0 ectinpi therebe ond on each side of each pair of hinge eyes, the

plate being notched in its overhanging portion to receive the eyes of the hinges, and a second wear plate secured upon the gate and terminating ad acent the top edge of the gate hinge eyes to form a substantially continuous surface connecting the bed andgate when thegate is positioned in substantial alignment with the bed.' i I I 3. In combination a vehicle bed, a gate,

and cooperating with the notched plate and I hinge members on the bed and gate and each having complementary eye portions extending beyond the respective members 'to which they are attached, a pintle hingedly connecting the bed and gate members, a wear plate on the gate terminating substantially at the body line of thegate and a wear plate on the bed projecting beyond the bed for a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the projecting hinge eyes, said overhangingjportion of'the said plate having notches therein into which the hinge eyesextend for closing'the 4c. In aconstruction of the classdescribed the combination of a vehicle'bed-and gate,

hinge members securedto said bed and gate and having eye portions'projecting longitudinally beyond the bed and gate; a pintle extending throughsaid eyes, a plate mounted flush with the top of the bed and extending therebeyond and notched to receive a portion ofreach hinge eye above the pintle, whereby the notches are closed, the hinge" eyes having flattened portions forming a flush surface with the top of the plate, and a second straight edged plate mounted flush with the top of the gate and having its edge substantially in abutment with the edge of the bed plate when the with thebed. I I

5. In a construction of the class described, the combination with a vehicle bed, gate and pintle carrying hinge having its members secured to the bed and gate and connecting the bed and gate at substantially the upper face of the bed and gate, the pintle axis being disposed between the bed and gate when the gate is extended in substantially the plane of the bed, of a plate notched along one of its edges and mounted on the bed and above the hinge .member secured to the bed, the notched edge of the plate projecting beyond thepintle and terminating at the adjacent edge of the gate when the gate is extended 1 in the plane of the bed, and the pintle carrying hinge portions lying in and substantially-filling the notches in the plate, whereby to provide a substantially smooth continuous surface devoid of recess intowhich casters,

furniture legs and the like may enter, as such articles are moved between and over said bed and gate surfaces. 7

6. In a construction of the class described,

the combination with a vehicle bed, gate and pintle carrying hinge having its members secured to the bed and gate and connecting the bed and gate at substantially the upper face of the bed and gate, the pintle axis being disposed between the bed and gate when the gate is extended in substantially the plane of the bed, of a plate notched along one of its edges and mounted on the bed and above the hinge member secured to the bed, the notched edge of the plate projecting beyond the pintle and terminating at the adjacent edge of the gate when the gate is extended in the plane of the bed, and the pintle carrying hinge portions lying in and substantially filling the notches in the plate, whereby to provide a sub stantially smooth continuous surface devoid of recess into which casters, furniture legs and the like may enter, as such articles are moved between and oversaid bed and gate surfaces, the gate when raised above the plane of the bed being adapted for contact along its lower edge, along the plate, inwardly of the notches in the plate, for closing ofi the notches from the interior of the vehicle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of April, 1930. I

EDWARD F. HERBERT. 

